Aeroplane



H; HAHN AEROPLANE March 29, 1932.

Filed Oct. 28, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l H. HAHN AEROPLANE' I March 29, 1932.

Filed Oct. 28, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet IN VEN TOR 'hwdnau {r L m s March 29,1932.

H. HAHN 1,851,764

AEROPLANE I Filed Oct. 28, 1950 s Sheefs-Sheet s JNVENTOR H21r1y flalm, B Y

Patented Mar. 29, 1932 I I v v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY man, or cunaanuasr; new Yonx mnormnn Application filed October 28, 1930. Serial No. 491,659.

This invention relates to certain improvefound that adjustable propellers are carments to aeroplanes of the so-called helicopter ried by motors which themselves areadjustaor giro type, although as the description pro-- ble by suitable controlling mechanism to give ceeds it will be evident that normal flying the desired angular directionto the pro eller conditions of the present' day conventional shaft, thereby changing the'traction i orces 65 lighter-than-air machine are provided for in as may be desired. flight. Broadly, the principal object of the By means of the improvements certain of invention is toprovide for a change in 'posithe propellers of an aeroplane may be so distion of certain of the propellers of an aeroposed as to exert'a direct vertical lift for the plane whereby traction can be secured at an lane, as when it'is taking off or landing or 60 angle to the normal direction of flight. More iovering. In flight the propeller shafts may specifically, the invention provides for the be moved into such line as will give maxic ange in position of certain of the propeller mumtraction and speed. If in flight it is shafts with respect to the horizontal and/or desired to retard the flying speed of the plane with respect to the longitudinal axis of the abruptly or to ease the plane down verticalaeroplane. ly when landing, the adjustable wing sections A further broad object of the invention is may be turned so as to present retarding surto provide adjustable wing sections which faces checking the forward movement while may be so controlled as to retard the flight of at the same time the lifting force of the proan'aeroplane, acting as air brakes opposing pellers is employed to sustain the plane to forward motion. a any desired extent.

The two general objects set forth above may Any intermediate position desired maybe be attained in the simplest embodiment by obtained for the propeller between one of mounting the adjustable propeller shafts divertical lift and one of forward flight.

rectly on the adjustable wing sections so that Further, in accordance with the preferred when the wing sections are-tiltedthe proembodiment certain of the propellers are adpeller shafts are tilted to the same degree. justable angularly with respect tothe direc- In this manner, when the propeller shafts are tion of normal flight so as to assist in changturned to a substantially vertical position the ing direction or to set up a component wing sections will be found in substantially of force suflicient to counteract drift caused vertical positions giving the most favorable by windage. In such embodiment, in the conditions for direct vertical lift by the prosimplest form, each propeller so adjustable is pellers. With the parts in such position the carried with a motor whose longitudinal axis slip streams from the propellers will be free adjustable angularly within desired limits.

from direct reaction fromany solid part of The invention will be describedin greater 35 the aeroplane. detail hereinafter in connection with the em- While it is recognized that changes in the bodiments shown in the accompanying drawcharacter of motors, propellers and wings ings, wherein: may be made the invention is not limited in Figure 1 is a view in plan of a tri-motored principle to the application of the improveplane of somewhat conventional form having 99 ments in respect of these parts but will lend adjustable wing sections on which two of themselves to use in any suitable tvne of the motors are mounted. plane having any suitable engines, propellers Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the and wings for the purpose. machine shown in Figure 1 indicating in The construction illustrated herein is indotted lines the position of the wing sections tended to be somewhat diagrammatic and and motors-when turned through approxi merely for the purpose of illustrating the mately principles'involved in the invention without Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through respect to the details of design. In the prethe plane shown in Figure 1 as seen from ferred embodiments, however, it will be the front and illustrating actuating mechapellers may be turned zontal plane, the view being taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6' is-a detailed view in section through one of the adjustable wing sections and taken on the 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a modified construction in which the wing with the motor mounted thereon is revoluble about an axis extending longitudinally of the wing.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of a plane such as is illustrated in Figure 7 showing the wings on opposite sides of the fuselage revoluble about their own axes, the supporting mechanism being shown in section. g

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view inside elevation of a further modification showing a motor and propeller mounted below the plane indicated by the line wing and movable about a transverse axis.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view in plan showing the relationship of two motors mounted like the one illustrated in F igure 9.

The aeroplane shown in Figure 1 may be of conventional construction including a fuselage a and side Wings 5 and 0. At the forward end of the fuselage is mounted a propeller (1 while on the two wings b, a, are mounted other motors e, f, constituting a tri-motored plane. The two motors e, f

. are mounted on wing sections 6', c, respectively. These two wing sections may be similar to the respective Wings and in normal position present no protrusion. They are mounted in their respective wings so as to revolve about transverse axes. As shown in Figure 3 the wing section 0' is supported at one side on a trunnion 0 and on the other side by an extended hollow shaft 0 anti-friction bearings being used wherever desired. Similarly, the wing section b is mounted at one side of a horizontal trunnion b and at the other side on an extended hollow shaft 72. The tubular trunnions b 0 are secured fixedly together by a cross beam 7 so that they may be rotated as a unit, being'aligned axially. The beam. 7 carries a sector 7' which may be engaged by a. sliding rack kadapted to be reciprocated by power means such as hydraulic mechanism represented generally at o L z. The invention is not hinted to the operating mechanism but that illustrated by way sections may be of example will make clear the principle; As shown, it is proposed to employ a hydraulic pump is which is piped to the cylinder 2', the pump being driven from any suitable source of power illustrated conventionally as an electric motor which may be under the control of the operator. A suitable valve control Z within the reach of the operator may be used to introduce fluid from the pump to either side of the piston or can blank off both sides so that the-parts may be held in any intermediate position. The trunnions b 0", are secured fixedly to the adjustable wing sections b, 0, respectively. By rotating the trunnions under the influence of the power mechanism described, or otherwise, these wing tilted simultaneously from their normal positions, through 90, to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2, or to any intermediate position. When the wings are thus tilted upwardly it will be apparent that the propellers of the motors e, f, will exert a direct vertical lift, the slip streams being arranged to pass without hindrance through the opening in the wings in which the sections 6, 0 are mounted. It will further be observed that the effect of tilting the wing sections 5, a is to present retarding surfaces in case the plane is in normal flight so that its flying speed may be quickly reduced as when hovering or landing. At such a period of time, however, the prfopellers are effective to exert maximum A further object of the invention is to provide for the angular adjustment of the propellers in horizontal planes so that they may be traversed as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. To this end, the motors e, f, are shown as mounted on the wing sections 1), 0, respectively, on anti-friction bearings m. The base of each motor may have a downwardly extending shaft 12 about which the motor can be turned. Each shaft may have a bevel gear n fixed thereon and engaged by a bevel pinion 0, these bevel pinions being carried on a through shaftwo whereby rotation of theshaft 0 will effect simultaneous and equal angular movement of the two motors e, f. It will be noticed that the bevel gears n are reversed with respect to one another so that the movements of the motors will be in the same direction when turned. To cause this turning the shaft 0' which may extend loosely through the hollow trunnions b 0 may have keyed thereon a crank arm 0 connected by suitable linkage to an operating worm p on a shaft 12 which can be turned by the operator. The worm p engages a sector 0 the mechanism being irreversible. From the description given it will be apparent that when the operator desires to adjust be turned in the desired direction thereby rocking the shaft and causin simultaneous turning of the motors e, f, wit 1 their respective propellers in the desired direction and to the desired extent. Such an adjustment will change'the direction of traction of the propellers so as to assist in changing direction of flight or in counteracting driftage of the aeroplane where there is a cross wind.

In the construction illustrated it will be advisable to insure synchronous operation of the propellers and for that purpose their shafts may be interconnected by a crossshaft r, universal joints r therein serving to afford caacity for angularity as between the various mterconnected parts. Not only does the shafting r insure synchronous rotation of the propeller shafts but it acts as a positive drive from one shaft to the other in case either one of the motors cuts out.

volve this shaft w In the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and October, A. D. 1930.

' H ENRY 8'the fuselage is indicated conventionally at s and carries at its vertical side walls antifriction bearings s in which are mounted the two wings t, t by supporting frames t. These supportin frames are cross connected by a shaft 2? maklng practically a unitary and revoluble structure, the wings being rotated on the axis ofthe shaft t; Truss rods t serve to brace the wings in their supporting frames. On the shaft t may be secured means for effecting tilting of the wings in the manner suggested. A rack u is keyed to the shaft t and may be operated by any power element such as a motor u rotating a shaft and worm u which worm engages the sector u as will be clear. In this embodiment one of the wing motors is illustrated at 0, there being provided such a motor on each wing t, t. When and as the wings are revolved about their horizontal axes their motors and propellers have their position simultaneously and correspondingly changed so that the wings may be caused to act as brakes to retard forward flight at any time and the propellers may have their shafts turned to vertical positions to give maximum lift.

In Figures 9 and 10 still another embodiment of certain of the improvements is illustrated, the adjustable motors w being shown as mounted below the wing structure T on horizontal trunnions and are capable of being turned from a horizontal position to a position in which the propeller shafts are vertically disposed. the propellers being directed downwardly. The motors may be interconnected in this case by a hollow trunnion rod, as indicated at 'w' in dotted lines in Figure '10 and suitable power means such as that illustrated in Figure 7 may be employed to reto tilt the-motors simultaneously and to the extent desired.

As polnted out hereinbefore, the parts are illustrated somewhat diagrammatically here in since it is to be understood that the inven tion is not to be limited to details of the dcsign of the parts employed, suitable motors,

and I other structural fea- 24th day of 

